President Gerald Yamada also donates $20,000 on behalf of the organization to the building of the U.S. Army’s new national museum.
By P.C. Staff
FALLS CHURCH, VA. — The Japanese American Veterans Assn.’s Quarterly Lunch at the Harvest Moon Restaurant in Falls Church, Va., on July 12 featured the announcement of its annual Scholarship Awards recipients and the presentation of its Service Pin to Dr. Sue Okubo for her roles in the Scholarship Committee and the Oral History Project.
Scholarship Committee Chair Wade Ishimoto announced the names of the scholarship winners as follows:
Reyna Fa-Kaji of Berkeley, Calif., Tulane University (Joseph Ichiuji Scholarship)
Rebecca Grace of Captain Cook, Hawaii, University of Wyoming (Betty Shima Scholarship)
Melissa Ikeda of Vienna, Va., the University of California, Los Angeles (Teru and Victor Matsui Scholarship)
Kellie Iwasaki of Hilo, Hawaii, University of Hawaii, Manoa (JAVA Founder’s Scholarship — Phil and Douglas Ishio)
Liesl Jaeger of Broadlands, Va., Brown University (Ranger Grant Hirabayashi Scholarship)
Matthew Mah of San Francisco, California School of Podiatric Medicine (U.S. Sen. Daniel K. Inouye Scholarship)
William Nakamoto of Burns, Tenn., Tennessee Tech University (Orville Shirey Scholarship)
Hayley Watanabe of Fountain Valley, Calif., Biola University (Mitsugi Kasai Scholarship)
Rose Yasukochi of Seattle, Wash., Occidental College (Kiyoko Taubkin Scholarship)
Java President Gerald Yamada congratulated the recipients on their well-deserved honors. Also on hand to congratulate the winners were Irene Hirano Inouye, president of the U.S.-Japan Council and Brig. Gen. Creighton Abrams Jr., U.S. Army (Ret.).
In addition, Yamada announced that the U.S. Army is building a new national museum to preserve the 500-year history of the Army. In appreciation of the Army’s recognition of the “loyalty of Japanese American soldiers during World War II,” Yamada presented a JAVA check for $20,000 to Brig. Gen. Abrams for the museum’s building fund.
“This donation is given by JAVA in honor of the Nisei soldiers who served during World War II in the 100th Infantry Battalion, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service,” said Yamada. “Last year, JAVA donated $5,000 for the same purpose. These two donations are expected to have JAVA, the 100th Infantry Battalion, 442nd Regimental Combat Team and Military Intelligence Service placed on the museum’s donor wall when it is completed.”
Yamada also invited 100th, 442nd and MIS members and families to donate artifacts that will be displayed in the museum’s permanent exhibit.
“Display space at the museum will be very competitive,” he said. “This is a short window of opportunity to secure a permanent exhibit for the Nisei soldiers.”
Of special interest is a helmet or helmet liner with the Red Bull painted on its side.
Donors are asked to contact Yamada directly by email at cyamada@goingforwardstrategies.com or by phone at (703) 938-3074.
Originally published on August 8, 2014
